Happy New Year!

Wherever people go,

whatever they may invent,

they will never discover 

anything better

than a family.

-Paul Gaugin

Happy New Year!!!  It's 12:30 am, and I'm ringing in year 2010 by yes, sitting in front of my computer, posting stuff on my blog (feeling nostalgic so bear with me).  I'm flying home tomorrow, and since I always seem to spend New Year's with my head in a toilet, it made sense for me to take it easy and celebrate the end of the decade at home, warm, and with the family.

It's been a wonderful two weeks.  I saw mostly everybody I wanted to see - friends, family and even my prior pet.  This is the third time I visited home, but for some reason it feels harder to leave this time.  I did a lot - went to Lena's baby shower, visited S, M & B (sounds like a circus), had dinner with Chrissy and Ju at Taksim, spent a few nights at LW's (at her request...haha), indulged in dinner at Butter and partied at Arlene's Grocery, had brunch at Il Bastardo with the girls plus Davin and Rick, went on a Dunkin Donuts date with Kathy, caught up with Jess over parma ham and lamb pappardelle pasta at the New York Times building (Montenapo is a fabulous place for lunch btw), went on a Kandinsky date with Lana at the Guggenheim, spent my last night in NYC at Tagz' apartment making dumplings until the wee hours, and enjoyed a breakfast date with Julia before the final journey home.  I also loved spending time with the family - made it out to Long Island to celebrate Christmas, ate Vietnamese food with my mum, shopped until I literally dropped at Short Hills (bad bad bad place!) and ate lots of yummy home cooked meals.  Overall, it was a fabulous trip to relax, reflect and finally spend time with my closest people.

Anyway, I'm excited to go home, but definitely a little sad.  I mentioned before that one of the hardest things when you leave home and move all the way across the world is the realization that things at home do not stop for you.  People continue on with their lives (rightfully so) and move on.  When I came back this time, I felt like all of my friends have matured, and they all grew up :).  I'm proud of all of them.  I guess this makes me realize how important it is to keep in touch with everyone and really make the effort to reach out.  I know I've been lax in this area, so I'm going to try to do a better job at this.

Well it's getting late, and I need to finish packing.  For the 2 of you who read this (haha, I know who you are!), happy new year again!!!

We share so many memories - 

both happy and sad - that we

don't have to talk a lot to know

what the other is thinking.  A look,

a sigh, a hint of a smile...that's all

it usually takes to get across a

message that says "I'm glad today,"

or "I'm sad today...bear with me."

It's comfortable and it's comforting

not to have to say a lot.

-Patricia Ziemba